Sean O’Malley returns to the Octagon this Saturday at UFC 269, opening the main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas against Raulian Paiva.
UFC 269 marks the second consecutive time O’Malley (14-1) opens a pay-per-view, as he was in this same spot in July at UFC 264 when he obliterated Kris Moutinho. He faces a more experienced opponent this Saturday in Paiva (21-3), who is riding a three-fight win streak.
Still in pursuit of a bantamweight ranking, O’Malley can ill afford to lose this bout. He needs another convincing, entertaining opener, and while Paiva is tough, O’Malley’s striking does provide him with a distinct advantage.